In the absence of a Green Party electoral stand in Hull this year, the party is taking the unprecedented step of making voting recommendations to members and supporters across the city.

The party's deliberations included a number of criteria:

Gender balance is regarded as important by the Greens. We note Hull City Council has done well in that respect this past year with near parity, and we seek to recommend similar.

Political differences are paramount - not only who is in power, but how that power is used. Those closest to our positions we hope will benefit.

Some strong candidates are omitted as they would strengthen a given party too much in the light of what that party is pursuing

Similarly, portfolio holders who have been instrumental in pushing through any number of cuts, including attempting to cut trade union convenor time, have largely been omitted

Some candidates, mostly sitting councillors, have a good track record in key fields, eg homelessness, NHS campaigns

Certain candidates have approached us and we have been minded to recommend these for this election, all other things being equal

Some candidates have particularly strong union links or anti-austerity platforms (Greens will be helping TUSC leaflet in Myton ward)

Some considerations are confidential

Certain areas have more than one recommendation

We particularly respect those candidates likely to resist mandatory city-wide fluoridation (threatened early last year) , as once this begins it is very difficult to undo. (We note that 60 schemes in the UK over the last 20 years have been beaten back by public resistance).

Some candidates have no readily available email which makes communicating with them, and between them and the electorate, more difficult.

These recommendation are merely an indication to supporters. They remain, as always, free to make up their own minds.

6. Teachers rebel over SATs – government revision booklets full of mistakes!

7. Brexit will attack UK workers

Martin Deane, chair of Hull and East riding Green Party, and candidate for Avenue ward, writes:

1. One month to go – Sign up to vote!

"With one month go till local elections around the country – it's essential that everyone who wants to vote is signed up. Millions were thrown off electoral rolls last year by changes brought in by government. This particularly applies to young people and how universities and colleges were told to change their practices."

"But it's easy to sign up - just search "voter reg uk" and you will get the sign-up page."

This is good for people who have changed address recently too.

DEADLINE - 18th April.

2. Green light for Labour in Bricknell

"Locally Greens will be standing across Hull for the second year in a row. Candidates will be announced shortly on the website.

"One exception is Bricknell ward where Greens are standing aside to give Labour the opportunity to take out one of the two Conservative councillors in the city.

"It is only right that Tory councillors across the country pay the price for what their government is doing to councils across the country.

"In almost every case, cuts have fallen disproportionately on less well-off areas, like ours."

3. Greens brand as truly anti-austerity party

"The Greens have always been a truly anti-austerity party. We will be leading on this in our campaign in Hull – one of the worst affected local authorities in the country.

"It's great that Corbyn is trying hard to change Labour policy on this – but they simply don't have the track record, like Labour in Hull cutting 600 council jobs, following vicious Lib Dem cuts of 1400 jobs before them.

"Across the region, year after year after year, Labour councils have knee-jerk voted down Green proposals to fight austerity."

"The Green Party is the people's choice."

4. Tax evasion – "an endemic problem for Britain"

In May Cameron will lead world leaders to London to tackle tax evasion globally. Allegedly.

"This will achieve as much as a wet flannel in the face of global tax evasion. The Panama Papers show Cameron's father, Ian Cameron, is a named tax haven user – one place David Cameron himself has got his fortune from!

"The Papers name British politicians, party donors and a dozen world leaders in the leaked files. There's a raft of UK territories around the world which are still offshore tax havens. "

"We have an endemic problem! We're not leading in tackling tax evasion - we're leaders in providing it!"

5. Scrap Hinckley C – spend £40 bn less and go renewable instead!

A thinktank report out today outlines how the inordinate cost of proposed nuclear power station, Hinckley C, could be spent instead – for far greater energy at better value – on renewables.

"We've the opportunity to save tens of billions of pounds – simply by going into renewables and not into nuclear. It's a no-brainer! All we're left with is the stubborn Conservative commitment to nuclear.

"And at the same time as blowing billions on expensive nuclear power, government won't even contemplate a billion or two to save tens of thousands of jobs connected to Port Talbot steel! A vital industry."

6. Teachers rebel over SATs – government revision booklets full of mistakes!

As the NUT prepares to boycott the government's even more demanding SATs tests, they issue a Easter revision booklets full of mistakes!

"The Tories are testing Britain to destruction! Neither teachers, nor parents, nor children, deserve, or will benefit from these tests, especially this year. Greens, however, would scrap all SAT testing and reverse the insidious move to force all schools to become academies."

7. Brexit will attack workers

"The Green position is that the EU is far from perfect but without it, employers would be given free rein to ride roughshod over workers."

"Brexit plays into the hands of the most vicious rightwing government in Europe. Our own!"